


Twins of Wonderland

by Danni_Lea



Series: Twins of Wonderland [1]
Category: Alice (2009), Primeval
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-24
Updated: 2012-04-24
Packaged: 2017-11-04 06:50:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/390984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danni_Lea/pseuds/Danni_Lea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know that there's a certain Mad Hatter who happens to look exactly like a young paleontologist (who works for a secret government organization, but that's another story). Who's to say they're not related? Cousins, second cousins thrice removed…or maybe…twins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, one of my betas and I were working out a story we're planning on co-authoring (another Alice and Primeval crossover) and we got onto wondering who was older: Connor or Hatter. I said, "How do we know Hatter is older? Connor could be, or they could be twi-…damn it."
> 
> And here we are XD

 

The Mad Hatters had been around as long as Wonderland itself. The family had been large and thriving until the Queen of Hearts took the throne. They had died off until a very few were left – and she left them because Wonderland's strange balance depended on there being at least one Mad Hatter.

Then the Alice of Legend came and brought down the whole house of cards and for a long time, Wonderland was free and the Hatters flourished again.

Until the current Queen of Hearts came to power. Crueler than the last, she hunted almost all the Hatters. Out of desperation many of them went into hiding with other refugees. However, they had underestimated the new Queen. She found them and killed nearly all of them. After the slaughter she passed a cruel and dangerous law: The Mad Hatter could only have one child; if twins were to be born, the youngest would be killed.

The law did not pose a problem for the family until the Queen's son, Jack, was born. At the time of the young Prince's birth, the Hatter's wife also gave birth. Birth to identical twin boys. The Mad Hatter knew the law, he knew it well. But, he could not bear to kill his youngest child, so he and his wife came up with a plan.

* * *

The lights in the tea shop were off and the dark building was quickly losing its warmth. Two figures emerged from the door and slipped into the shadows. Both were carrying small, tightly wrapped bundles.

The figures were hardly noticeable. The shadows wrapped around them, guiding, hiding, protecting. Soon they reached their destination: the Hall of the Looking Glass. Carefully, they slipped out of the shadows and inched toward the Looking Glass and a man in a suit. The man smiled grimly.

"You have until dawn, Hatter," He said.

"Thank you," The Hatter tipped his hat and adjusted his arms to get a better grip on his eldest son. His wife held their youngest in one arm and used the other to dig out an envelope and small ring threaded on a string to make a necklace. She slipped the necklace around her child's head and tucked the envelope into his blankets. She handed him to Hatter and took the elder twin from him. Kissing her youngest on the forehead one last time, she whispered, "Be safe, dear child of mine, and always remember who you are, because even though you will live amongst the Oysters, you will always be a child of Wonderland."

Giving his wife a kiss, the Hatter turned and slipped through the shimmering surface of the Looking Glass.

 

* * *

London was very different from Alice of Legend's time. The buildings were tall and made of metal and glass. Cars and people clogged the streets, making Hatter even more aware of the time slipping away. He knew that time flowed faster in Wonderland than here; they had done the math, figuring how much time Hatter had to get his son to safety.

It wasn't long.

Of course, he already knew where he was taking his youngest. It was the last place the Queen of Hearts would look if she discovered their deception. His wife had been traveling between worlds under the pretence of looking for new teas. Instead, she was looking for a safe family for the younger of the twins. She had picked a young, newlywed couple, who were doing well and could care for a child. They lived only five minutes from the Looking Glass. The people in the area had said they were very kind and the wife regularly watched the neighbor's children. His wife had chosen them to raise the youngest Hatter.

It didn't take long for the Hatter to find the flat where the couple lived. He checked his son's blankets one more time and as he walked away, he looked at the name plate on the mailbox.

_Temple._

* * *

Arianna Temple liked to think she was fairly level headed and mature for her young age of twenty-two years. Her husband was kind and loving, even if he drank a little too much. He could support her easily, but she believed in making her own, so she worked. Someday she also wanted a child of her own.

But sometimes she worried about how her husband would welcome a child into their lives. Well, she'd worry about that when necessary. For now, she had groceries to worry about. Or, at least until she opened the door and found a sleeping child on her doorstep.

"You can't be serious, Ari."

"Of course I am! You've read the letter! Poor boy…" Arianna trailed off to coo at the baby nestled in her arms.

"Ari, we can't keep him!" Arianna glared at her husband.

"I will not abandon him, Brian." Her husband sighed and shook his head. He knew that when she was this determined there was no talking her out of it. He'd let her keep the boy until she realized how tiring and useless infants were.

"All right. You can keep him."

Arianna beamed and continued cooing at the babe. "He'll need a name," she said. "How about Connor?"

"It's a good name," Brian agreed. Arianna stood up, grabbed her coat and keys and went to the door.

"Where are you going Ari?"

Arianna slipped on her shoes, readjusted Connor, opened the door, and threw over her shoulder, "The store! We need baby supplies, yeah?"

The door clicked shut and Brian sighed. He turned and left the kitchen, accidently knocking the letter they found with Connor to the floor for the entire world to see.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Temple,_ _My name is of no importance. The only thing you must know is that without you, this child will die. Where we come from, a cruel and harsh law sentenced him to death. Because of this law, I cannot care for my son, no matter how much I wish so. I beg of you to take him in and raise him as your own. Where we are from, who I am and who his father is does not matter. Please, just take care of our son. We wish him to live a long, healthy, and happy life._

_We understand the burden we have placed upon you, but we have no choice._

 

_Thank you for caring for our son._

_You have our eternal gratitude._


	2. To London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Tada! Chappie one! This a long bugger too. Be happy damn it. And it refuses to stick to the nice little outline I had drawn up. So it looks like I'm winging it for the first time in a very long time. Hah.
> 
> Summary: We all know that there's a certain Mad Hatter who happens to look exactly like a young paleontologist (who works for a secret government organization, but that's another story). Who's to say they're not related? Cousins, second cousins thrice removed…or maybe…twins.  
> Rating: T  
> Warnings: Hatter and Connor Madness.  
> Betas: It'sOnlyForever and Nightly Rains (Thanks a bunch guys).  
> Word Count: 1,652

It had been one year since Alice's unexpected trip to Wonderland. Much has happened since Alice led Wonderland to the overthrow of the Queen of Hearts. Jack took the throne and, piece by piece, worked on rebuilding Wonderland while trying to implement technology from this side of the Looking Glass. Dormie looked after the tea shop, which Hatter dearly missed (don't get him wrong, he loves Alice and her world, but it was  _his_  shop) while Alice and Hatter made themselves a life in Alice's world.

After dating for four months, Hatter proposed. He had planned a nice picnic in Central Park because, for whatever reason, it was one of the few places that reminded them both of Wonderland. Of course, everything went completely and utterly wrong. It rained; the food was cold and he almost lost the ring to a _bird_  of all things! Grumpy, frustrated and all around mad (no pun intended, thank you very much) he decided to give it one more shot at home. So, in the middle of Alice's favorite movie, he got down on one knee and proposed. He'd never be so nervous in his life, or more relived when she said yes.

Two months later they were married, Hatter had set up his own tea shop and business was booming. Now, almost exactly one year after they met, they were taking a long overdue vacation.

"I've always wanted to go to London," Alice said. Hatter looked up from the suitcase he was packing to quirk an eyebrow at his wife.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Good thing we're going there then, yeah?" Hatter flashed Alice his most charming grin and began packing again; not missing the eye roll Alice sent him before she went to pack other necessities. While deciding which hats to pack, Hatter absently touched a hand to his chest. Tucked safely in his shirt was a gold ring on a black thread. His mother had given him the ring just before her death. She told him it was important, but not why it was. He wore it always as a memento to his mother, father, and every other dead Hatter. Shaking his head he gave a snort and continued packing. He had other things to think about, like two whole weeks alone with his Alice.

* * *

" _Hatter! We're going to miss the flight!"_

"Relax love, we'll make it." Hatter was greatly amused by his wife's worry about missing the plane considering that Alice still retained her fear of flight and height even after the misadventure in Wonderland. Hatter paused. Height, flight, height, flight, hei-

"Hatter!" Exasperated, Alice grabbed her husband's arm and dragged him toward their gate. Hatter pouted. He was having a very amusing thought, thank you very much. The thought was completely chased from his mind when Alice's grip tightened on his arm. He knew she hated flying almost as much as she hated the Heart's Casino. Gently, he pulled his arm out of her grip and slung it around her shoulders. He rubbed her arm soothingly and kissed her temple.

"Everything will be fine love. Relax."

Alice leaned into him and sighed, "I know, it's just…"

"I understand. When you get really worried, just think of me, yeah?"

Alice laughed and Hatter grinned. Mission accomplished.

* * *

 

Shortly after take off, Hatter had managed to coax Alice into sleeping, which he considered to be a very good thing with all the turbulence they were hitting. For reasons Hatter couldn't explain, to himself or Alice, ever since he stepped foot in her strange world he felt a pull towards the UK. He couldn't explain why, but he felt that if he went there he'd find something, something important. If he were still in Wonderland he'd blame it on the world's strange, chaotic magic. as it were, he wasn't in Wonderland so he had no explanation for it and frankly it was driving him mad. Hatter was jostled out of his thoughts as the flight attendant announced the plane was landing. Looking over at Alice he was relieved to see she was still asleep. Take off and landing was her least favorite part of flying (besides the whole height thing). As the plane came to a stop, he gently shook Alice awake.

"C'mon Alice. Time to wake up. Flight's over."

Alice opened her eyes and looked around at the other disembarking passengers before getting up and stretching. Flipping his hat back on his head, he grabbed their carry on luggage and followed Alice back into the chaos of the airport.

By the time he and Alice managed to get out of the mad house people insisted on calling an airport, the sun was high in the sky and the streets were clogged with people and cars. Hatter couldn't decide which city was worse as far as cars go – London or New York.

Alice flagged down a taxi and gave the driver directions to their hotel as Hatter loaded their luggage into the trunk. He had never been more grateful that Alice wasn't like a lot of other girls and was reasonable when it came to packing. Between the two of them they had only two suitcases and a duffle bag – the duffle was for necessities that refused to fit in the suitcases. Hatter let out a yawn as he and Alice slid into the back seat of the cab. The one aspect he hated about traveling was kicking in – jet lag.

Hatter was far from new to jet lag. Adapting from Wonderland time to Alice's world's time was an adventure in itself. Time moved faster in Wonderland (and yet, the people who lived there aged at the same rate as oysters – don't ask him why) and Hatters body had to adjust to the time speed – speed of time? – of this side of the Looking Glass. In other words, a major case of jet lag. Alice had been very amused at his strange sleeping habits until he became used to the new time difference.

It had been…interesting.

From the amused smile on Alice's face she remembered his introduction to her world too.

Hatter just pouted.

* * *

Since it wasn't really late, Alice decided to do some exploring on her own while Hatter decided to take a nap. She wanted to know where certain things were – like the grocery and the drug store (because, while they're no longer in Wonderland, Hatter still found his way into far too much trouble for his – or her – own good). Alice was also more than a little curious. It was the first time she had been out of the country – well sort of. Wonderland didn't count. Not really.

Wonderland adventure not-withstanding, Alice was eager to explore a place other than her home of New York City. She knew Hatter had been looking forward to a relaxing two weeks away from home and so was she. Everything had been a little chaotic since Wonderland – especially explaining things to her poor mother. So they had decided a nice relaxing vacation across the sea was good way to get away from it all.

Of course, she really should have taken Murphy's Law into account because as soon as she rounded the fifth corner from the hotel, she tripped over a monster.

For a moment, all Alice could really do was  _stare_  because monster running was reserved for Wonderland and  _not_  in the middle of London. When the thing started to move her instincts kicked in and she ran down the alley the she and the monster were standing next to. Unfortunately, the alley ended in a high brick wall, trapping Alice with the monster, creature, thing. She looked around the alley for some kind of weapon to use. Turns out, taking her eyes off the creature for even a second was a bad idea. The scratch of claws on the pavement was her only warning before the creature jumped straight at her. Alice slipped into a defensive stance looking for any weakness she could expose when a familiar voice rang through the alley.

" _Duck!"_

Not wasting a second, Alice took the advice and dropped to the ground, hearing the monster crash into the pavement behind. She heard footsteps approaching her and the voice again.

"Erm, you all right there? We might want to get goin' before it gets back up, 'cause it looked kinda eager to try and eat you  _or_ me or anyone else really…"

Alice pushed herself up and looked behind her. The thing was starting to get back up and before Alice could do anything she felt a hand clamp around her arm and start pulling her toward the fire escape on the left side of the alley.

"Oh no," she said, "I am  _not_  going up that thing."

"Well, unless you fancy being dinner you might want to. There's another one heading our way." Alice glanced over at the entrance to the alley and cringed. Unfortunately the stranger was right but…

"You don't understand," she insisted. "I have a  _thing_  about heights!"

"Yeah? Well I have a  _thing_  about  _teeth_!" And with that the stranger began pulling her up the fire escape. One of the creatures tried to jump up after them but the old rusted metal broke and fell. Alice felt her heart speeding up at the thought of the escape falling on  _them_. She felt the stranger squeeze her arm and give off a nervous little laugh. He used his free hand to dig through his pockets as they climbed higher. When they reached the roof he let go of her and pulled out a phone. Before he started dialing he turned to her and asked in that familiar voice, "Are you alright?"

It was the first time she had gotten a good look at the crazy person who had dragged her up the fire escape and she felt her breath catch.

He looked exactly like Hatter.


	3. Connor is Connor, Hatter is Hatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The plunnies win. No outline anymore
> 
> -picks up outline and happily throws it out the window-
> 
> Now, before we proceed, I have some pre-emptive apologizing to do. I am an American teenager who has never been outside of the country. So, before I go any further with this story, I must apologize for any mistakes, and any Brits out there – feel free to slap me and correct me :)
> 
> Also, this chapter ended up a lot longer than I originally expected, which is part of what took me so long to update (I also got grounded and its OGT Blitz and…yeah).
> 
> Summary: We all know that there's a certain Mad Hatter who happens to look exactly like a young paleontologist (who works for a secret government organization, but that's another story). Who's to say they're not related? Cousins, second cousins thrice removed…or maybe…twins.  
> Rating: T  
> Warnings: Dinosaurs. Anomalies. The usual. And, you know, Connor and Hatter; A.K.A, one big helping of Andrew-Lee Potts :)  
> Betas: The ever wonderful It'sOnlyForever and NightlyRains  
> Word Count: 2,340

When the ADD went off, Connor had hoped that whatever creature came through wouldn't try to eat him for once.

Which, you know, they didn't. At first. Sort of.

Well, they didn't try to eat him until he followed one into an alley after a girl, and it tried to eat the girl. His eyes darted around the alley, looking for something to use as either a weapon or escape route. That's when his eyes landed on the fire escape. Escape route. Check. Connor looked back at the girl and felt his stomach drop when he saw the creature – a champsosaurus- jump at her. He saw her slip into a fighting stance (one he vaguely recognized because of Abby), and he got the distinct feeling she was about to do something really stupid, like kick the creature. So he did the logical thing. He yelled, " _Duck!"_  and started running towards her as she flung herself to the ground. The champsosaurus smacked into the concrete wall and fell to the ground. Connor glanced over his shoulder and cursed under his breath as another one came into the alley.

He reached the girl and asked, "Erm, you all right there? We might want to get goin' before it gets back up, 'cause it looked kinda eager to try and eat you  _or_ me or anyone else really…" He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the second champsosaurus coming towards them and grimaced. Just his luck. Not waiting for her to reply, he reached down and grabbed the girl's arm, hauling her up to her feet and dragging her toward the fire escape.

"Oh no," she said, "I am  _not_ going up that thing."

Connor rolled his eyes and kept going, "Well, unless you fancy being dinner you might want to. There's another one heading our way."

He placed his foot on the first step.

"You don't understand," the girl insisted, "I have a  _thing_  about heights!"

"Yeah? Well, I've got a  _thing_  about  _teeth_ ," He answered. He was getting nervous. The creatures were getting uncomfortably close – they would probably barely make it up the fire escape. Maybe. Hopefully.

Connor pulled the girl up after him and started running. He could hear the scrap of claws on pavement as the champsosaurus closed in. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the girl do the same. They both watched the creatures jump up after them, and both winced as the metal a few steps below them gave out and fell with a crash to the alley floor. Connor tugged on the girls arm and gave it a small squeeze before pulling her onto the roof. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, letting go of the girl. Before he began dialing Cutter's number (who would hopefully come with help in the form of Becker) he turned and asked, "Are you alright?"

When she just froze Connor got confused. She seemed alright a moment ago…a lot like Abby actually. Which...was kind of terrifying. He frowned and looked her over. She wasn't hurt, was she?

"It didn't get you did it? I mean, you're not hurt are you?"

The girl blinked and shook her head. "No, I'm not hurt. Sorry, I was just surprised. You look like someone I know."

Connor let out a nervous grin and laugh. "I've been getting that a lot lately…but, um, I gotta call someone, y'know to uh take care of the creature."

The girl just gave him a shaky smile and nodded. Connor ducked his head and dialed Cutter's number, whiled edging back towards the broken fire escape. He glanced down into the alley and saw the creatures attempting to jump onto the remaining bits of metal.

" _Where are you?"_

"Erm… on the roof of a building." Connor could almost see Cutter pause after his response. He heard Cutter exhale slowly and was almost glad when he calmly asked,  _"Why are you on a roof, Temple?"_

Oh. Last name. Not good.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story and we're sort of trapped."

" _We?"_

"We. Um, one of the champsosaurus had cornered this girl in the alley and-"

" _Temple, just tell me where you are."_

* * *

Alice raised her eyebrow as the man hung up his phone. Whoever he had been talking to, he looked a little sheepish as he explained the situation (and being perfectly honest, she was doing her best to  _not_  think about the fact that they were on the roof of a building hiding from weird man-eating creatures). He walked back over to her and gave another nervous smile.

"We're goin' to be here a while. Might as well sit down, yeah?"

Alice blinked. Blinked again. And smothered a laugh. They even  _talked_  the same. Alice shook her head and replied, "Yeah." She easily folded her legs under her and sat on the ground. The stranger just about fell to the ground across from her when tried to sit. Alice frowned and narrowed her eyes; she was pretty sure she saw his leg try to give out on him. When he did sit down he shrugged and in reply to her look said, "I think I rolled me ankle when we were runnin' up the escape."

Alice just shook her head again. "If we're going to be here a while like you said, we should probably get to know each others names," Alice stuck out her hand. "Alice Hatter."

The man started when she thrust out her hand before giving her a sheepish grin, taking her hand and replying. "Connor Temple, and yeah, we'll be here a while, apparently a third creature escaped and my friends are currently chasin' after it."

"So," Alice started, "What were they?"

Connor looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Oh, um…escaped alligators?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at Connor. She would admit the two… _things_  somewhat resembled alligators and crocodiles, but she didn't have to be an expert to know they weren't. For starters, the nose was too narrow and too long, and it was too small small. And, it turned out Connor and Hatter had several personality quirks in common – like how to tell they were lying.

"You're lying."

Connor shifted. "No I'm not. They're escaped alligators."

"Uh-huh."

"Yu-P."

Alice blinked for what felt like the millionth time. Did he really just…? She snorted. Maybe he was Hatters long lost cousin. By this point she was pretty much convinced the two were related. Of course that brought up the question  _why isn't he in Wonderland?_

* * *

Okay, so maybe this was a freakish coincidence (though she doubted it. After Wonderland, she didn't much believe in coincidences anymore – if she ever really had).

Pushing the thought aside, she refocused on the man sitting across from her. His hair was shorter than Hatters, but the exact same shade of brown (and it looked like he wore hats a lot too), and his eyes were the also the same shade of brown (a little wider, a little more innocent, and less confident, but they looked just like Hatter's eyes). They were the same height, though Connor looked lankier than she'd ever seen Hatter, and they even had the same dimpled smile (kind of. Hatter's was filled with a confidence bordering on arrogance – from the few nervous smiles she got out of Connor, she could see his were filled with a shy nervousness, but also a very genuine kindness).

Connor had begun to fidget under her scrutiny, his eyes dropping to the ground and his hands twitching. One hand reached up and began playing with a chord around his neck – whatever was on it was hidden under his shirt. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry if I made you nervous. It's just…you look  _exactly_  like my husband. It's a bit weird."

"Erm, yeah, I bet it is," Connor replied, still looking uncomfortable. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence.

" _Connor!"_

Connor's head snapped up and a grin spread across his face at the voice. He stood up, stumbled due to his ankle, and limped as fast as he could to the edge.

"Abby! Becker! We're up here!"

* * *

Connor had been beyond relieved to get off of that roof. Alice seemed like a nice person, but she was really starting to make him uncomfortable with all the staring. As they climbed into the vans to go back to ARC (Alice had to come with them – something about legal documents, paper work, and foreigners. He doesn't pay that much attention when Lester starts grumbling) and he was more than happy to ride back with Becker with Abby and Alice in the other van (okay, so he was kind of disappointed not to be riding with Abby, but it got him away from the starring, so he wasn't too terribly upset).

As Connor and Becker closed the doors, Becker asked, "Why the roof?"

Connor shrugged. "Champsosaurus at the opening of the alley. The roof seemed better than the thing with sharp pointy teeth. And claws."

Becker snorted and shook his head. "I saw the fire escape. You're lucky you didn't go down with it."

Connor shrugged and looked out the window. He jumped when heard Abby's ringtone. He pulled out his cell and answered with an, "Yeah?"

" _Tell Becker we're making a detour to pick up Alice's husband. She insisting on it and Cutter gave us the go ahead."_

"Okay."

He and Abby hung up and Connor turned to Becker sighing before relaying Abby's message. After he had finished talking, Becker glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"It'll be a while before we get back, Connor. Take a nap, you look a bit tired."

Connor decided that sounded like a really good idea.

* * *

Hatter had officially decided Alice had been gone too long. He had woken up to find Alice not-there and almost missed her note lying on the pillow next to him. Once he had read it through he wasn't worried (as much)…well he wasn't worried until  _three hours_  after he woke up. That was when he decided it was time to go and look for his wife.

Hatter grabbed his jacket, slung it on, and was just about to reach the door when it opened and in came his wife and another woman he didn't know. Hatter narrowed his eyes when the other woman froze. Alice just walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I ran into a little trouble while I was out. Her friend helped me out and well…we have to go with them for a bit to sort something or another out."

Hatter raised and eyebrow and opened his mouth – only to have Alice put her hand over it.

"Be  _nice_ , Hatter."

The other woman finally turned her wide-eyed gaze to Alice. "You could have mentioned that they're  _identical_."

Alice's lips twitched as she lowered her hand and responded with, "How do you think I felt when I got a good look at him on the roof."

"Alright. Fair enough."

Hatter's other eyebrow quirked up. Alice seemed strangely comfortable around someone he was pretty sure she just met. She caught his eye and shook her head.

"We'll explain on the way too…you never explained where we're going." The second half of the sentence was directed at the other girl.

"Oh. Um, I'm not sure I'm allowed to say. Cutter wouldn't mind, but who knows about Lester." She shrugged and turned to the door. "We should get going anyway."

"Hold on," Hatter said, "I'm not goin' anywhere until I know where you're tryin' to take me and Alice."

"Hatter," Alice began, "Her friend saved my life. They're going to explain what happened – and probably try to convince us to keep our mouths shut when we get back home."

Hatter narrowed his eyes and stared at the girl. She didn't seem to be trying to trick them, but he learned a thing a two about hiding you're true intentions back in Wonderland. Alice grabbed his hand and nudged his arm. "They're alright Hatter."

He sighed, and followed his wife and her 'friend' out the door.

* * *

If there was one thing Nick Cutter could rely on, it was the fact that his student and colleague, Connor Temple, would, without fail, be injured to some degree at almost every anomaly site. That's why he wasn't overly surprised to see the young paleontologist limping into to ARC with help from Captain Becker. Connor grinned sheepishly at the look Cutter sent him.

"I rolled me ankle runnin' up the fire escape. S'not that bad."

Becker snorted and said, "He did more than roll it. It's sprained. Only mildly, but the point is he's trying to write of his injury…again."

Cutter sighed and shook his head. "Temple, you need to stop that. And if you shrug and say 'I've had worse,' I'm leaving you to Lester's mercy."

Connor paled and Becker rolled his eyes. "If you're done torturing your technical specialist, I'll take him to the infirmary to get his ankle wrapped up."

"Take him away," Cutter replied.

Connor said, "You sound like you're arrestin' me!"

"Come on, Temple," Becker began, "Drop the drama and let's go before Maitland gets back. This way we're not wasting time."

Connor just laughed as he and Becker walked (or limped) off. Cutter smirked and turned back toward the entrance and settled down to wait for Abby and the foreigners.

He knew one of them looked like Connor from what Abby had told him, he just wondered how much they looked alike and if this man was the one everyone was confusing his student with (because no matter how long the ARC operation went on, Connor Temple would always be that awkward student who walked into his office full of conspiracy theories and was also responsible for getting him into this mess). Cutter shook his head when he heard the truck pull up. He supposed it was time to get the latest mess sorted – and hopefully  _without_  any bloodshed or injuries for once.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, here we are at chapter three! I'm really happy because Connor and Hatter finally meet. And, I'm already planning the prequels to this (Twins of Wonderland: Connor's Story and Twins of Wonderland: Hatter's Story). They won't be posted in the crossover section because the prequels will focus more on Hatter and Connor individually. Don't expect them to be posted for a long while though. This story has to be finished first. Fair warning, THE PREQUELS WILL BE RATED M. They'll be rated M for lots of things – just no lemons. Promise. I've also got the sequel in planning and a few companion fics. ToW has completely swept me up. Sneaky Hatters.
> 
> Also, I apologize profusely for taking so long. Real life turned into a pain in the ass and I've been job hunting. Oh, and I've got a schedule hashed for writing. I should have the next chapter sent to my Betas by the 15th. And this chapter is currently unbeated. I'll replace it with the betaed version as soon as It'sOnlyForver and NightlyRains are done with it.
> 
> One more thing: Happy Independence Day!
> 
> Summary: We all know that there's a certain Mad Hatter who happens to look exactly like a young paleontologist (who works for a secret government organization, but that's another story). Who's to say they're not related? Cousins, second cousins thrice removed…or maybe…twins.  
> Rating: T  
> Warnings: -insert witty remark here-  
> Betas: The amazingly patient It'sOnlyForever and NightlyRains.  
> Word Count: 1,760
> 
> UPDATE (1/21/12): This is the nice and shiny BETAed version of chapter III. Many thanks to It'sOnlyForever, because not only has she BETAed this chapter, she is currently providing major help on the next one. See you soon!

The whole time they were in the van, Hatter point blank refused to let go of Alice's hand. The woman who was driving (she had introduced herself as Abby Maitland) hadn't done anything to show she had an inclination to start shooting at them, but he still didn't trust her (or any stranger) as far as he could he throw her. And he was getting tired of her constantly looking at him. Alice had told him it was because he looked pretty much identical to her friend but that didn't stop it form being annoying. Or creepy. Or paranoia inducing. Hatter frowned and turned toward Alice. She squeezed his hand and sent him a smile. "Relax and be nice, Hatter. They're good people."

Hatter sighed and asked, "Are we almost there?"

Abby answered, "Just about. Shouldn't be much longer. I know Cutter wants to talk to you both."

"Cutter?"

"Our team leader. Recently, a lot of people have been mistaking Connor for someone else – he thinks they might be mistaking him for you. He's worried."

Hatter raised an eyebrow, "Worried about who he could be mixed up with?"

"Sort of. He's got a bad habit of writing off how badly he gets hurt." Abby's eyes flicked into the rearview mirror, and Hatter and Alice both saw the worry and frustration reflected in her eyes. Hatter shared an amused glance with Alice.

"So," Hatter said, "You love 'im?"

Abby jerked, "Connor! He's my best mate!"

Hatter smirked, ' _Well, this is interesting'_ He looked over at Alice and grinned; she rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated look, though the effect was ruined by the suspicious upward tilt of her lips. That, and Hatter could read people – especially Alice. He knew she was more then likely thinking the same thing he was. What was that saying she liked so much? ' _Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.'_  Personally, Hatter thought it fit rather well.

"Well, here it is," Abby said.

Hatter and Alice looked out the window to look at the large building. To Hatter, it appeared to be made of windows. Abby unlocked the doors and jumped out of the van. Alice got out behind her and raised an eyebrow at Hatter. Reluctantly, he climbed out of the van and together, he and Alice walked up to Abby, who was talking to a man with long blonde hair.

"-sprained his ankle running up the escape. Becker dragged him off to the infirmary to get it checked out," The statement was followed by and exasperated eye roll from Abby.

"Honestly," she said, "I'm going to sic Rex on him."

The man chuckled and shook his head, "Come on. They should be back by now, and the sooner we go deal with Lester, the sooner we can let these poor people get on with their lives."

Hatter felt his eyebrow go up. "Anyone mind explaining what's goin' on? Not knowing is getting a little annoying, yeah?"

Abby snorted and bit her lip while the man smirked. It was the man who answered Hatter, "Well explain once Connor and Becker are with us. Less confusion, and unfortunately, less annoyance for Lester."

Hatter and Alice shared a look. Whoever this Lester person was, he apparently wasn't well liked by the team of…whatever they were. They still hadn't explained that. Reluctantly, he followed Abby and the sarcastic man into the large glass building, and sincerely hoped that he and Alice would be out and gone soon.

\---

By the time Becker and the doctor let him out the infirmary, Connor was ready to go back to bed. The alarm went off at an ungodly hour (again), he was chased and almost eaten by prehistoric creatures (again) and he was being lectured by Becker (again). He was ignoring Becker for the most part, thinking over ways to improve the ADD and make mobile ones. He was fairly sure he could make them compact, close to a cell phone, it was just figuring out how. Maybe…

"Temple!" At the shout, Connor jerked and lifted his head to stare at Cutter. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he said, "I was thinking about the improvements I wanted to make to the ADD and…" he trailed off and shrugged. That was when he noticed the three people standing behind Cutter.

Abby, Alice and a man who looked just like him. Connor blinked. The man quirked an eyebrow. Connor looked and Cutter, who said, "Come on Connor. We're going to Lester's office, and hopefully everyone will get an explanation." Cutter walked up to Connor, grabbed his arm, and led him toward the office.

"How's the ankle?" Cutter asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, alright. Fine. Thanks," Connor answered, and if he sounded distracted, he thought it could be excused for once. Actually, if he weren't distracted he'd be worrying himself.

"Becker, how's his ankle?" Cutter asked.

"Oi!" Connor said, "Didn't I just answer that?"

"Mild sprain. He supposed to take it easy the next couple of days. No going out in the field," Becker answered, completely ignoring Connor. Cutter nodded and Connor scowled. He wasn't that bad about hiding injuries…sometimes. Sort of.

Cutter let go of his arm and Abby walked up and nudged his side. "Admit it Con, you try to hide too much."

Connor's scowl lessened and he let out a huff, "Yeah, well. Just don't want to worry everyone."

Abby rolled her eyes, "That just makes us worry more," she told him. Connor gave a hapless shrug, and with one more glance over his shoulder at the man who looked like him, they stepped into Lester's office.

Hatter watched as Cutter made Connor sit in one of the few chairs in the office. His eyes flicked to the man on the other side of the desk and guessed that he must be Lester. He didn't look particularly strong or imposing, he seemed beyond annoyed (and judging from the looks on the others that wasn't terribly surprising), and he was glaring at Cutter. Abby gestured to the other two chairs in front of the desk, offering them to Hatter and Alice. Alice nodded and dragged Hatter over, sitting them both down. Hatter never let go of her hand.

"So," Lester began, his gaze switching between the two foreigners and Connor. "Anyone want to explain the latest disaster? Oh, I know, how about the person responsible. Connor?" By this point Connor was slouching in his chair and tugging at the chord around his neck. Hatter noted that the leather looked worn – he'd defiantly had the necklace since he was young. Connor shrugged one shoulder and shot Lester a lopsided grin, "Y'see, it wasn't  _really_  my fault. How was I supposed to know it would go after Alice? I just told her to duck and pulled her up a fire escape. Nothing bad happened. Escaped alligators – fairly common, yeah?"

Lester looked entirely nonplussed. Connor squirmed and tugged the necklace out from under his shirt, revealing the golden ring that he had hidden. He started twisting it around his fingers and Hatter stared. He knew that ring. It was identical to his. Hatter frowned and stared at the ring as Connor went through and explanation of how he hadn't been expecting a second alligator (Alice snorted every time he said alligator – it was fairly obvious the poor kid was lying through his teeth) and was actually hoping they'd both follow him (Abby groaned, Cutter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, and Becker sighed) back to the team.

"And you know the rest."

"Well," Lest began, "Now that Connor's filled his quota of reckless stupidity today, I suppose we should move on to the next order of business, shall we?" Hatter's eyes flickered to Lester then to Cutter. Apparently, the blonde hadn't missed his staring, for he was watching Hatter with a curious and protective look.

"First off," Lester said, "I'll need your names."

"What for?" Hatter asked. Generally, when secret organizations asked for your name, it was never a good reason. Lester's stare was even and wholly unimpressed. "The answer should be obvious. We need to do know who you are so we know what we can and can't do in this situation."

Alice raised an eyebrow, "Situation? I thought they were 'escaped alligators.' I fail to see how that requires so much secrecy." Lester glowered and Hatter grinned. His wife was a downright terrifying woman at times. Hatter's eyes flickered back to Connor, who was still playing with the ring tied around his neck and seemed to be just as amused as he – Hatter - was. Well, right until Abby poked him in the head. Cutter seemed to be rather happy to watch his boss get told off by Alice. Hmm.

Lester sighed and said, "We could tell you the truth but then we'd have to have you killed." Hatter and Alice both tensed and Hatter tightened his grip on Abby's hand. The office was dead silent.

"Kidding." Hatter glared. Cutter cut in by saying, "We need to know your names so we can send you on your way. This is more of a formality than anything. We could always have Connor figure it out for us."

Connor's eyes moved upwards while Abby snorted. Becker was looking entirely too amused. Alice glanced over at him and squeezed his hand. Hatter grumbled but finally heaved a sigh when Alice glared. "Fine," he snapped. "My name is David Hatter. Call me Hatter. This is my wife, Alice."

"Well, now that we have that out of the way, I want all of you out my office while I sort this mess out. Cutter, no fits of insanity, and Temple, no hacking of any sort and  _try_  to stay out of trouble." Cutter smirked while Connor grinned. Abby turned on her heel and said, "C'mon, Con. The sooner you do whatever upgrades you're making to the ADD the sooner we can go get lunch."

"Pizza?" Connor asked as he scrambled out of his chair and after Abby. Hatter glanced at Alice and they both got up to follow Connor and Abby.

"Why not," Abby said. Connor cheered and rushed toward a chair and something that looked vaguely like a computer with several screens. Alice squeezed Hatter's hand one more time and went off after Abby. Hatter decided to go after Connor – he had a few questions after all. So, when Hatter caught up the paleontologist (who was already typing away) he put his hand on Connor's shoulder and said, "I need to ask you some questions."


End file.
